Liturgy 1: Clergy Training Program

1.Describe the purpose and function of ritual. (minimum 300 words) First and foremost we participate in ritual to align/re-align ourselves and our spirits with the Cosmic order. In performing the actions of ritual we effect change on the spiritual level and connect our selves with the whole of creation and strengthen our connection with that Cosmic, creative energy. The pattern of Centering, Purification, Re-Creating the Cosmos resonates with participants reaffirming and solidifying our connection to the myriad realms of existence. Within ADF we maintain that our rituals and the offerings given to the Kindreds therein serve to nourish and strengthen the Kindreds. ADF Ritual seeks to draw the Kindreds closer to our world and encourages, perhaps even engenders, their more tangible existence in this realm. We believe that our sacrifices are a boon to the Kindreds and that they appreciate our attention. In turn we expect the Kindreds will grant us boons which may benefit us. This reciprocal, ghosti-based relationship is mutually beneficial to celebrants and Kindreds alike and we take it as given that the Kindreds feel as rewarded by their relationships with us as we are by our relationships with them. The nature of the gifts receive from the Kindreds is a third aspect and function of ritual. In his recorded Hub of the Wheel lecture Ian Corrigan talks about the Gods as having "longer arms" than we do. By that he referenced Their ability to affect change of levels of existence to which we have little or no access. While it is proper that we make gifts of our labors and skills, the gifts from the Kindreds may take the form of the "three great goods-health, wealth, and wisdom" (Corrigan). Within ritual we repeatedly set up a pattern of giving so that the Kindreds may in turn give. Receiving these blessings, and assuming they will have a real and beneficial impact on the participants is an integral function of ADF ritual.

2.Describe some of the roles individuals might take on within the context of ritual. (minimum 100 words) ADF ritual offers many ways for celebrants to actively participate. The role of Sacrificer is found in many ADF rites; one person appointed to put the offerings in the right place at the right time. This role requires a full understanding of the nature of the Triple/Sacred Center and the function of the Gates. Some participants, while perhaps lovely speakers, may be stymied by the demands of speaking bravely before the Kindreds AND navigating a possibly cluttered Nemeton AND getting the trajectory of the whiskey just right so they don't burn off their eyebrows. A Sacrificer focused on physically making the offerings allows a speaker to focus on verbally making the offerings. The Seer is that individual who will take and interpret the Omen, by whatever divinatory means and appropriate. This ritual role can be onerous as it relies the most on successfully achieving the ritual trance state and requires true communion with and inspiration from the Kindreds. It is not uncommon to see a Seer struggle with the mechanics of his/her chosen divination system. It is all too easy to miss the voice of the Kindreds when one is trying to remember whether the Ogham lines for "Ur" are diagonal or perpendicular to the axis. However, the Omen is what the Seer says it is in that moment, even if his/her interpretation "technically" deviates from established interpretations. The Bard is that individual who will make the Prayers to/for Inspiration at the opening of ritual and will lead the songs and chants used throughout the rite. In public work it is a luxury to have a group of celebrants who all know the same music, a rare luxury indeed. The Bard can lead a dry-run of the poetic and musical sections of ritual during the pre-ritual briefing and then be a strong voice steering the group in the rite itself. In some cases, the Bard may simply sing/chant alone on behalf of the gathered folk.

3.Describe the concepts of the Center and the Gates in ADF's Standard Liturgical Outline. (minimum 300 words) In the center of the Druid's nemeton are manifested the dual powers of the Upperworld and Underworld in balance and harmony with this Middle World. The center of the ritual is where all realms are present and conjoined, where Land, Sea, and Sky meet in perfect, holy, beauty. It echos the Druid's own spiritual and magical center. Unlike some Neopagan practices of conducting ritual outside of the flow of time and space, we attempt to move ourselves into the very Center of all things. The sacred Fire in the center of a Druid rite is therefore the Fire at the heart of all existence, and in our one Fire is contained all Sacred Fires. One element that sets ADF liturgy apart from other liturgical styles is the inclusion of a formalized Opening of the Gates. Our 3 Realm cosmology assumes the existence of Upper and Lower worlds in addition to the world we inhabit in the middle. The opening of the Gates to these realms creates an open channel through which the Kindred may better hear and interact with us, and us with them. The Gates are tripartite. The Deep Gate, typically a Well, connecting us to the Underworld realms of the Dead and the primal waters of death and birth, decay and rebirth, that churn deep in the womb of the Earth. The Bright Gate, a fire or flame, connecting us with the Upperworld realms of the Gods and the Cosmic light of the heavens giving form and purpose to the seething, inchoate potential of existence. And the All-Reaching Gate, usually a Tree, which links all three realms together forming a strong center axis around which we move throughout ritual. While it is generally assumed that the Kindreds can hear and see us without opened gates, in our mundane lives and personal devotional work, the formal Gate Opening achieves the unhindered communion and immediacy of presence desirable for full Druid ritual.4.Discuss why ADF rituals need not have a defined outer boundary, or "circle" and the sacralization of space in ritual. (minimum 100 words) Mainly because we don't need one. Ritual designs featuring a circle casting do so for two main reasons; protection and energy containment. ADF works with a liturgical model that does not approach the Kindreds in an essentially antagonistic way necessitating protection. In our ritual we want to draw the attention of the Kindreds and a barrier to keep energies and entities out is contraindicated. If pushed on the matter, it stands to reason that we rely on the presence of our Kindred allies as proof against any malicious entities. It is also ADF custom, though not required, to make an offering to such beings as hold aims contrary to our own and ask them to leave us in peace. Energy raised in an ADF ritual is either directed at a specific offering or simply allowed to move in and out and around the Nemeton. We do not work in a system that requires the building of energy like a head of steam to be explosively released at an appointed moment. Our rituals occur at the Sacred center, most commonly described as Fire, Well, and Tree, though there are cultural variants. Our center is the center of the cosmos, the center of all realms. The Center is recognized and established and, I believe, is inherently sacred. I do not hold with language that indicates we can "make" the Center sacred, it already is so. Spaces that are regularly used for ritual and no other purposes simply need be entered to be ready for ritual. Spaces that serve other purposes will need to have the Center accessed to be suitable for ritual work. 5.Discuss the Earth Mother and her significance in ADF liturgy. (minimum 100 words) Revering the Earth Mother as an early step in ritual was a part of RDNA liturgy that Isaac maintained when constructing ADF's liturgical format. Ours is a religion that holds reverence for the natural world as an important part of our practice and it makes sense that we should honor the Earth Mother early in our rites. Whether celebrants subscribe to the Gaia principle, revere a local or pantheon-specific sovereignty/land goddess, or address themselves the dirt beneath their feet is irrelevant. The primacy of the act of reverence is what is important. The wording we use in my Grove (wording I composed but was very likely inspired by liturgies of other Druids) is "From you we are born, by you we are sustained, and to you we inevitably return. There is nothing we could offer that was not first your gift to us, save our love, embodied in this kiss."

6.Discuss the ritual significance of Fire and Water in ADF liturgy. (minimum 100 words) Fire and Water embody the primal forces that we seek to balance within ourselves and within ritual. The Water deep in the Earth, that miasma of decay and potential is the flow from which all life comes and to which it returns. This Water we draw up into ourselves to pool within us connecting us to that chaos of potential. The cosmic fire of the heavens burns above us, shining through the vacuum to illuminate our realm. This Fire we draw down into ourselves to shine and warm the pooled waters within ourselves. The Fire gives shape and form to the Water. The balance gives us the will to carve order from chaos and the enlightenment to create from decay. Once balanced within the celebrant, these two forces may be balanced with ritual- the Fire and the Water frame our ritual space and echo the realms of the Kindreds of Gods and Ancestors as the Tree and the celebrants themselves echo the Kindred of the Land Spirits. In ritual the Fire and the Water, the Sky and the Sea, are held in connection and balance with the Land.

7.Discuss the origins of the Fire, Well and Tree, and the significance of each in ADF liturgy. (minimum 100 words for each of the Fire, Well and Tree) Fire: The Fire must be included in the Hallows of all ADF rituals. Fire figures predominantly in almost all IE religious traditions. Consistently Fire is presented as the divine spark within man and as a shaping force of the cosmos. Fire purifies and consumes the sacrifice, delivering it directly to the Gods. For Vedics it is Agni to whom sacrifice must be made before anything else; for Norse it is Muspelheim one half of the world before the creation of the realms we know. The Welsh poets speak of the Fire in the Head. In ADF ritual the Fire is the Bright gate, through which we achieve access to the Gods.Well: The sacred well is found throughout IE religion, most notably the Norse and Celtic families. We see Boann approach a Well in which swim the salmon who feast on the hazel nuts of wisdom. Her repeated approach forces the waters up and out of the well, released forever into the world of man and making otherworldly knowledge available to us. The Norse have a plethora of sacred wells in their Lore; perhaps best know is Mimir's Well from which Odhinn receives great wisdom for a dear price. We also see the Norns take water from their protected Well to nourish Yggdrasil, the mighty Ash the supports and encompasses all the nine realms. Within our Liturgy we approach the Well as the Deep Gate through which we may achieve access to the Ancestors and (depending on the approach of the Liturgist) chthonic deities. Tree: Most certainly the third part of the Hallows was taken primarily from imagery of Yggdrasil-the World Tree that holds together the Nine Realms of Norse cosmology. The Celts have the Bile, the sacred pole or tree and certainly our ancient namesakes the original Druids did meet in sacred groves. Within our Liturgy the Tree is the axis, holding together the fiery, heavenly realms and the deep, watery realms with the Land supporting the celebrants in the middle. Sometimes called the all-reaching gate, it stands firmly in our ritual space connecting us to all the realms. It is the part of the Triple center that is most often represented purely symbolically or entirely replaced (with a pole, or stone).

8.Discuss the Outdwellers and their significance in ritual (or not, as the case may be). (minimum 100 words) The Outdwellers/Outsiders are a rather contentious aspect of ADF ritual, and one made optional with the most recent revision of our Liturgy. Throughout the existing lore of IE peoples runs the theme of cosmos vs. Chaos, of our Kindred allies carving a hearth out of the wild, and defending it from those beings who would destroy or, in some cases, reclaim it. As our ritual establishes us at the center of the cosmos and aims to activate our alliances with those beings sympathetic to us and our purposes, it stands to reason that they would be an effective defense against any beings with intentions inimical to our work. This is not to say that the Outsiders are ignored completely in ADF ritual. It is an original part of our liturgy to make an offering to them outside of the Nemeton proper and ask them to leave our rite in peace. Some Groves over the years have adopted a combative attitude while others have lumped the personal distractions of the ritual participants with the Outsiders thus making the Offering as much a purification of the celebrants as a palliative gift or bribe. I have also seen and participated in rituals that viewed Gods from pantheons not being addressed were considered among the Outsiders. This approach certainly removes the connotation of menace from the group of Outsiders. The modern ADF Core Order of Ritual leaves the acknowledgement of the Outsiders completely optional and it has been my experience that newer groves and protoGroves (and even the Clergy Council) commonly omit that step. In my Grove I have kept it in the liturgy because I believe it a useful tool for reminding celebrants that our aims are not the only ones out there.

9.Describe the intention and function of the Three Kindreds invocations, and give a short description of each of the Kindreds. (minimum 100 words for each of the Three Kindreds) In ritual we invite the Kindreds into our ritual to share in our work and to deepen our connections and alliances with them. In the liturgies I compose I have a system of Kindred offerings designed to bring the celebrants deeper into ritual trance and spiritual connection with the Kindreds. The first invocation we perform is to the Spirits of Nature Spirits, those beings who share this realm of Land with us. We broadly understand them as the spirits of animals, plants, minerals, water, and air as well as fairy/fey/huldr folk. Various hearth cultures differ in definition of the exact nature of the tribes of beings classified as Nature Spirits and likely this is the Kindred in which one would include house spirit-type entities. We begin our invocations here because thLandvaettirir reside in the same physical realm as ourselves there are on the closest "plane" to us. This invocation encourages the celebrant to enter fully into ritual space itself. Developing alliances with these beings allows the Druid a rich experience in the physical world and may result in a heightened awareness and knowledge of the world around him/her. In ritual one invites them in partly as common courtesy as it would be unpardonably rude to conduct ritual in this realm without inviting the indwelling spirits of that very place. The ritual invocations then continue and we address ourselves to our Ancestors. They may be understood as our predecessors of the body (our family line), of the mind (those who have inspired us personally or professionally), and of the spirit. They are the beloved dead who were mortal and have passed out of this life. Since the Ancestors were once alive as we were now are and presumably we feel some connection to them, they are the next "easiest" with whom to connect (the first being the previously described Landvaettir). The Ancestors share our "line" by which I mean theirs is a current into which we may tap with relative ease. In so doing the celebrants deepen their connection with the ritual by moving their focus from their physical surroundings to their personal connection with those who have moved from this realm to the next. The realm of the Sea is generally accepted as that of the Ancestors and while we may enter the Sea, it is slightly more difficult—we must work a little bit harder to make this connection. Once we have honored thLandvaettirir and the Beloved Dead, we move on to honoring the Shining Ones; the gods and goddesses. Since the Shining Ones reside in a realm from which we are the most removed, I save this invocation for the last of the three relying on our work and connection with the previous two to better enable the celebrants to make this connection. The gods are generally understood to inhabit the realm of Sky which is more difficult for us to access than the Sea (Ancestors) and certainly more so than the Land (Nature Spirits and our own realm). However, building each invocation on the one previous we give ourselves a firm base and a sufficiently deepened ritual mindset from which to work. Enlisting the assistance and good will of the Gods is an important ritual step for most often it is from this Kindred that the deities of the occasion are drawn (though certainly not always).

10.Describe other possible models for the "Filling Out the Cosmic Picture" sections. (minimum 100 words) Most commonly in ADF we "Fill Out the Cosmic Picture" (a lackluster re-phrasing of the early "Re-Creating the Cosmos") by establishing the Triple Center of Fire/Well/Tree//Land/Sea/Sky. This model is, as I understand it, based on some common imagery in IE sources but is broadly a little more Celtic then anything else. It is not uncommon for the Greeks among us to honor a Stone/Mountain representing Olympus instead of a Tree. Vedic rites tend to have multiple Fires instead of the more varied Hallows. Some years ago in my work and liturgy writing I began including the Nine Realms from Norse lore in my Germanic/Scandinavian rites, something I believe has now spread (or possibly it was a 100th monkey scenario). While some Druids are include the Nine Realms in the Gate opening, I find it more powerful as a means to expand the celebrants sense of place during the establishment of the magical space of ritual. Using various culturally relevant models for this ritual step not only enriches the rituals and our liturgical stockpile, but it allows liturgists to move beyond the boiler-plate liturgy and truly personalize individual rites.

11.Discuss how one would choose the focus (or focii) for the Key Offerings. (minimum 100 words) Determining what sort of ritual one is constructing is an important step to choosing a focus for the Key Offerings. If the rite is to meet a personal need, say health or safe-travel, then a deity directly related to the endeavor would be most effective. For occasions such as Blessings or Crossing Over ceremonies the Patrons of the individuals involved could be a natural choice, or perhaps one of the Kindreds. In the case of High Days, the hearth culture(s) of the celebrants and the nature of the holiday would be the deciding factors. There may be specific seasonal customs or even gifts that are customary and that knowledge would have quite an impact on the direction of the offerings.

12.Discuss your understanding of Sacrifice, and its place in ADF liturgy. (minimum 100 words) Quite simply, our ritual is a sacrifice. Our words, our art, our effort are made sacred and made into a communal gift for the Kindreds. To sacrifice is to set aside for special use and indeed our time in ritual is so set aside. Within the context of the ritual, gifts are given to the Kindreds. Gifts that, according to the ancient law of *ghosti, open the door for gifts to be given to us by the Kindreds in return. In ritual we sacrifice to each of the three Kindreds and then make additional sacrifice to the beings of the specific occasion, often Gods though the ritual may honor entities from among all the Kindreds. Our gifts given according to our means it is then customary for the Kindreds and/or the beings of the occasion to offering gifts in return. Our Grove specifically asks for wisdom or blessing, communicated by way of Ogham (sometimes Runes). That gift we internalize by means of sharing a charged Blessing Cup. And in the end, a gift is returned for a gift. Our ritual sacrifices enter us into and deepen our connection and reciprocal relations with the Kindreds; it is the cornerstone of our practice.

13.Discuss your understanding of the Omen. (minimum 100 words) Taking the Omen offers the Kindreds a venue for directly communicating with the ritual participants. In my ritual work I use the Omen to obtain specific information. First I ask the Kindreds, or perhaps just the Deities of the Occasion, whether my sacrifices were accepted. This is not a universal practice throughout ADF and many ritualists are uncomfortable with the "yes/no" nature of such a query. In my experience, the times I have received a negative response were times that something truly was amiss, in most cases an offering left forgotten on the altar. When the Omen indicates that the offerings were accepted, I then call for another Omen explaining the nature of the Blessings that will be given by the Kindreds to the ritualist/s in return. In this way I may be certain that my ritual work served its purpose and that a continuing, reciprocal relationship with the Kindreds has been established/strengthened.

14.Discuss your understanding of the Blessing Cup, or "Return Flow". (minimum 100 words) Once the nature of the Blessings from the Kindreds is determined by use of the Omen, celebrants then may receive those Blessings. The tide of energy shifts from flowing from us to the Otherworld (the Sending of Power to the Deities)to flowing from the Otherworld to us, the aptly named Return Flow. The business of receiving the Blessings is best done via a tangible process, often drinking or being asperged with a charged liquid through there are other techniques. The process is completed using three distinct steps in the ADF liturgy; Calling for the Blessings, Hallowing (and sharing), and Affirming the Blessing. First, the Blessing, having been described by the Omen is "officially" asked for by the ritual celebrants. Second, the vehicle for the Blessing is charged or infused with the Blessing and shared with the celebrants. Third, the act of receiving the Blessing is acknowledged and firmly cemented by stating the fact aloud.

15.Describe possible cultural variances for elements discussed in questions 3 through 14 above. (minimum 100 words) Obviously the hearth culture of the celebrants will directly inform the style and tenor of the various steps in the ADF liturgy. A culturally specific Earth Mother could be addressed, perhaps with proscribed offering—for instance, we know Romans offered quantities of milk and honey to the Earth Mother. GateKeepers will necessarily change depending on the hearth culture of the rite; one would not call to Mananan MacLir in a Vedic ritual. The Triple Center itself could feature three fires for a Vedic rite instead of the more common Fire/Well/Tree. Obviously the Key Offerings and Main Sacrifice will be directly affected by the cultural focus of the rite whether it is burying a leek in honor of Freyr at the Charming of the Plough or a Green Egg for Thor at the Equinox, or a Golden Apple for Eris whenever one feels it appropriate. Using a culturally appropriate divinatory tool for the Omen is a nice ritual touch; Ogham for Celtic rites, Runes for Scandinavian rites, etc.

16.Describe how ADF liturgy corresponds with your personal or group practice. (minimum 100 words) Since joining ADF in 1998 every ritual I have had a hand in constructing has been informed by ADF liturgy. Since the founding of the Grove of the Seven Hills, ADF in 2000 every High Day ritual (except for 5) has been constructed primarily by me. Even the Troth Kindred to which I briefly belonged used ADF's liturgy as the base of their rituals. In my personal devotional work I often omit the Gatekeeper and the opening of the Gates because I do not believe they are necessary steps in an effective ritual, but in all other aspects, even my personal work is framed by the ADF liturgy. The format is powerful, and more importantly it is effective. Perhaps I find it so effective because over the years I have trained myself to respond to the opening steps of ritual by entering the light trance state we seek. Perhaps my personal response to the opening steps of ritual is so strong because the structure itself is powerful. There is a bit of the chicken and egg conundrum present when I consider this question. While I may play fast and loose with the Liturgy in my personal practice, it is the only liturgy with which I ever consider getting loose.